Don't Prevent MPs From Contesting Primaries

The Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, says it is wrong to prevent any Member of Parliament (MP) from contesting local elections such as constituency primaries with the reason that the individual has acquired high level of political experience.

Professor Kwame Boafo-Arthur, said just like any Ghanaian, sitting MPs who would want to continue to stay in parliament must be made to go through constituency elections to help strengthen intra-party democracy, as well as engender democratic accountability and good governance.

He said it would be wrong for any politician to be allowed to have an easy way out, since some of them easily abandoned those who voted them into power immediately they won seats to parliament.

Prof. Boafo-Arthur expressed these sentiment when the Daily Graphic contacted him to comment on suggestions made by some people to the effect that political parties should find ways to protect some high-profile MPs from being challenged at the constituency level.

That, they believed, would enable those MPs to continue to champion the cause of their political parties in parliament, as well as build on their experience and knowledge as “career politicians”.

The suggestions were made days after some prominent figures in parliament including the Majority Leader in Parliament and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Tema West, Mr Abraham Osei Aidoo; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and NPP MP for Ejisu-Juaben, Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for South Dayi, Dr Kwame Ampofo, lost in their individual constituencies during primaries.

For losing to others in their own parties, these seasoned MPs and many others in a similar situation, cannot contesset the national elections scheduled for December 7, 2008.

Presently, the NDC firebrand, who is the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Avernor-Ave in the Volta Region, Mr Doe Adjaho, is reportedly facing serious competition from Mr Seth Dominic Aglago, an Information Technology (IT) specialist in a constituency primary yet to take place.

Prof. Boafo went on to explain that it was not for anything that the political parties included constituency primaries in their constitutions, adding that it was put in there to check those who would fail to work in the interest of their constituents but only visit home prior to elections for campagin purposes.

He said since MPs were given the power by people in the constituencies, nothing should be done to encourage them to ignore the people.

Media reports from the constituents where sitting MPs lost to other candidates from their own political parties during primaries indicated that many of such MPs either failed to visit those constituencies on regular basis or had problems with the constituency executives.

A case in point is the Amansie West Constituency where although the sitting MP, Mr I. K Poku-Adusei, beat his opponent, Mr Joe Osei-Owusu, by one vote, the people had organised series of protests, some violent, and issued threats of voting against him but give their mandate to the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in what is known as “skirt and blouse” in Ghanaian political parlance.

Prof. Boafo insisted that it was important for every individual, no matter his or her political position, to be given the opportunity to vie for an elected political office.

He stressed that no one should be protected but rather the field should be levelled to enable all other interested candidates to contest and win on merit.

Story by Lucy Adoma Yeboah